Wanted, A Guid Wife
Victoria Writes to Auld Scotia and Receives Nine Score
Replies.
Law Only Allows One, But There Are Chances For The
Others.
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There is certainly an opening in some portions of Auld Scotia for a live young man
with matrimonial intentions. Not long ago a gentleman of this city wearying of the bleakness
of bachelorhood decided to take unto himself a wife. It appears that in the People's Journal,
Dundee, there is a Love, Courtship and marriage Department edited by "Aunt Kate," and to this
benevolent lady the Victorian confided his intentions and requested her assistance.
| | The Scottish Cythera immediately complied, with result that the writer
received a lot of replies, the number of which surpassed his wildest expectations. They came
with a vengeance; in battalions, and were an exemplification of "It never rains but it pours."
Their diversified character is described in the appended correspondence. There were 180 of them,
and the Westerner is now face to face with an enigma more puzzling than the mythological riddle
propounded by the sphinx. It is understood that he is seriously considering the advisability of
of accepting the entire batch, despite his reference to one as permitted by law, and emigrating
to Utah. There he would be a strong candidate for the seat left vacant by the late Mr. Cannon.
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The first letter received by "Aunt Kate" from the Victorian was in February. The editress of
the interesting department to which it was addressed stated that it bore the marks of honesty
and genuineness, but beyond publishing it, took no further responsibility. The letter as
appearing in the People's Journal, Dundee, was as follows:
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Dear Aunt Katie: Would you kindly allow the space in your valuable paper for a few lines? I
will try to be as brief as possible, and come to the point at once. The fact is, I am a bachelor,
35 years of age, and my friends here have been trying to advise me to get married for some time,
and I must confess I have thought a good deal about it myself in the last two or three years,
but have not as yet found my ideal; and then girls are not so plentiful out here as they are in
some other parts of the world. And so, after a good deal of consideration, I have decided to
write thus, hoping that I may find my ideal in the land of my birth, first, because I am a
Scotchman, and would prefer a Scotch lassie to any other; and, second, because I would like
her to come from near the place where I was born, which is about half-way between Aboyne and
Tarland. My height is 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches; weight 150 lbs; fair complexion, blue eyes, light
brown hair. I possess a medium temper, and a rather quiet disposition; am a carpenter and
builder by trade. Would like to get a young woman of the brunette type with dark hair and eyes,
rosy cheeks, and fairly good-looking; height from 5 feet to 5 feet 6 inches; weight not over
140 lbs; age anywhere from 22 to 32 (27 or 28 preferred); plump build; a fairly good
housekeeper; neat to dress; and as full of fun and mischief as she as a mind to be. Now, if you
will kindly publish this, and it should meet the eye of any young woman answering near this
description who would like to come to British Columbia and trust herself to the care of a good
honest man, let her write direct to J.E. Beveridge, No.7 First street, Victoria, B.C., Canada
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"Aunt Kate" was naturally - both as a woman and as a journalist - interested to learn the
result of the publication of the letter, but scarcely expected such a response as was announced
in the following letter, which came to hand:
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Victoria, British Columbia, Feb 26th, 1901.
Dear Aunt Katie: As I promised to let you know the result of the letter I wrote you a short time
ago, I may say that I have had quite answers enough. Up to the present time I have had 104. I
had 35 by one mail, and the postman told me that it about it doubled the best record for large
mails in Victoria. The most of them seem genuine and good sensible letters. There are a few,
however, that I don't consider worth answering, and there are a few in which I can't make out
the addresses. As I can't possibly answer all perhaps you will kindly publish for the benefit
of those who have made inquiries that Victoria is considered the best and prettiest town to live
in on the Pacific Coast. You can get a good view from nearly all sides of it. To the south lies
the Juan de Fuca Straits, across which you can see the Olympian range of mountains(in the state
of Washington), whose lofty peaks are crowned with snow all the year round; then away to the
east soars the snow-crowned head of Mount Baker, 11,000 feet in height, said to have been a
volcano at one time. Several years ago a very daring young girl ascended to the summit of this
star-gazer, and she is said to have been the second who had ever reached the top. In a run of
four miles we come to the navy yard and naval harbor of Esquimalt, where His Majesty's ships of
the Pacific Squadron lie. We have the best climate of any of the cities on this Coast, but I am
sorry to say Victoria is away behind the times in regard to street improvements, but she is
beginning to up a little. Then we have too much of "John Chinaman." The Chinese are about the
worst curse we have here. For years they have taken the place of domestic servants as well as
the laboring men, but in the last two or three years the people have been trying more to get
rid of them, and there is more demand for girls. As regards wages for domestic servants, they
run from $10 to $18 per month (a dollar is 4s, 2d), while a girl that is a good cook can get $18
per month. Dressmakers and milliners get about $1.25 to $1.50 per day, and trained nurses get
as high as $15 per week. In some of the other cities on the Coast the wages are even better
than here, especially on the American side. Now, I don't see any reason why a few of those
girls couldn't come out here, as I feel sure they could do better than at home, and would
perhaps stand a better chance of getting homes of their own. I think I could take good care of
one (the law won't allow me more). If a few should decide on coming out they could count on me
as a sincere friend, who would do all in my power to help them. This is all I have to say at
present, so thanking you very much for your kind favor, I remain yours sincerely.
| | J.E. BEVERIDGE
| | Present address - 91 Yates street, Victoria, British Columbia
| | Later: Since writing the above I have received 80 more letters. I might say
that Abernethy need have no fear in sending address and photograph.
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| | Now in consideration of the above there is no reason why
eligible young men of Victoria should despair of entering the matrimonial state. The
publication of this interesting correspondence should be as a beacon of hope to the bachelor,
and the Times believes that possibly it may result in the amelioration of his present forlorn
condition. It is also a very fair advertisement of Victoria.
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It is to be hoped that the negotiations will end most satisfactorily and that if the writer of
the above has been able to discriminate in favor of one the 179 others will not despair, for
"there's as good fish in B.C. creeks as have ever been caught."
| | John Beveridge can be found in the
1901 Victoria census as John E. Bevridge. Division 8, page 13,
line 8. |
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